The new Jonna’s Bar & Grill offers the “same great high-quality food Jonna’s has always served, and better.”

That’s the word from co-owner Mike Jonna, who opened Jonna's Market in Howell in 1999 and has drawn a following with the store's deli. He opened Jonna’s Bar & Grill on Tuesday.

Located a few doors down from Jonna’s Market on the southeast the corner of M-59 and Michigan Avenue, the new restaurant offers appetizers, salads, burgers, pizza and more.

“The market has great food and a great following,” said Jonna, who owns the businesses in partnership with his brother Patrick Jonna and long-time family friend Sean Azzo. “Our customers need a place to sit and eat pizza, wings, a great burger and a craft beer.”

The eatery features personal pizza for two, in deep dish, thin crust and gluten-free cauliflower crust varieties, as well as appetizers and sides like the veggie board, Mediterranean tray, mac & cheese, battered mushrooms and more.

“We wanted to go a different route than what you’ll typically find in this area,” said Azzo, noting an emphasis was placed on “comfort” type menu items. “We wanted to give the community a comfortable place to have a good burger and fries, a craft beer or a bourbon, at a good price.”

The $9.99 half-pound Jonna burger, he said, is made from fresh beef and served up with lettuce, tomato, onion and a special Jonna sauce tops a toasted sesame bun with a side of fries. A bacon cheese burger – or a turkey burger, for the more health conscious – is also available.

The space, formerly occupied by a tanning salon, also features a full bar, with table and high-top seating, as well as four large-screen televisions.

Jonna’s has been part of the Howell community for nearly two decades. The original Jonna’s Market opened in 1999 in the former Diamond Dot Market.

In 2007, Mike Jonna bought and developed a parcel of land on the southeast the corner of M-59 and Michigan Avenue, where the market and numerous other businesses operate.

“I had a vision to build in an upscale market and walk in my father’s footsteps,” said Jonna, noting his father owned a market in Detroit. “We love this community and we’re glad to be part of it.”

Jonna’s Bar & Grill, open daily from 11 a.m.-midnight, is located at 1455 N. Michigan Ave., St. 400. Call the restaurant at 517-225-5079.

Contact reporter Laura Colvin at 517-552-2848 or lcolvin@livingstondaily.com or follow her on Twitter: @LauraColvin22